Collapsible cloth roll



Feb 27, 1951 P. C. HERING COLLAPSIBLE CLOTH ROLL Filed May 51, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.4

INVENTOR.

A T TORNEYS Feb. 27, 1951 P. c. HERING 2,543,457

COLLAPSIBLE CLOTH ROLL Filed May 31, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 12 11 Fag I] INVENTOR.

BY I

PM YKPWJPI ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 27, 1951 orrice f coLLAPs'IBLE oLo'rn ROLL Paul 0. Hering, Lawrence, Mass. Application May 31, 1947, Serial N0.'-.751,-547- This invention relates to collapsible cloth rolls for use on looms. Each loom generally has a take up roller, with an abrasive surface, for keeping the woven fabric taut and the take up roll drives a cloth roll, upon which the cloth is wound, by means of a friction device.

The conventional cloth roll, at present, is an elongated cylinder of solid circular cross section and has a shallow longitudinal groove along its exterior surface. In order to commence winding on a conventional roll, in a newly set up loom, the warp threads are fastened to a number of loops on a leader of canvas or other fabric: The free end of the leader is then wound one or more times around the cloth roll and a long thin wooden member is inserted in the above mentioned cloth roll groove to lock the cloth to the roll.

After a loom has been in operation for some time, it may be stopped, the cloth cut between the take up roll and the cloth roll, the cloth roll removed and the free end of the woven fabric delivered by the take up roll is usually wound around and locked in another cloth roll of the conventional type.

In many textile mills it has been the custom to wind certain yardages of cloth on the clothv roll such as fifty yards or a hundred yards, 'then cut the cloth, and remove the roll. It then becomes necessary to substitute another conventional cloth roll or to lose valuable time in unwinding the cloth from the old roll. The conventional roll cannot be pulled out from the center of the cloth windings and'replaced in the loom because of the friction between the cloth ,r/a-rd eachotherupon the links as pivots. "Collapsible shafts hav-e;a1so been made as in-patent tmWendt, No. 1,746,976, wherein the members are held apart by cams but upon a'sliding movement of either 'memberthe cams enter acam groove and the members collapse toward each other. In my Patent No. 2,340,381 Ishow abuttable rollers which hold the members apart,

until end caps are removed, whereupon the members may slide axially and collapse. 1 7

4 Claims. (crate-72 .InLmy former patent, the U-shaped spring or sprin member is provided to prevent longitudinal movement of the bars by, friction but on account of their shape, I found it desirable to also use at one end a bolt with a winged nut because a spring of the shape shown would not always holdthe assembly firmly enough together and still must not hold so rigidly as to make it too difficult to remove the caps; Such an U-shaped spring is really a friction spring catch.

Besides that, with abuttable rollers engaging each other at'their tangential lines, I also find that at times, on account of the pressure of the cloth, the rollers, being on what might be called dead center, are locked together so that after the caps are removed it is necessary to strike the end of a bar in order to release the rollers.

I found it very convenient to tuck the end of the cloth in between the bars or to fold it over the edge of one of the bars and to then wind the cloth around beyond that point so as to lock it in position but I found that if too much cloth was tucked in between the bars with abuttable rollers such as shown in my patent or cams as in the patent to Wendt, at times when the roll was collapsed, this cloth would be pinched and it was diilicult to remove a bar. Clearly if there was a link pivoted at each end to a different bar, it would be impossible to separate the bars because when the bars collapsed, the tucked in cloth would be pinched and the bars would be locked together.

I therefore use .a pivoted separating arm which upon the slightest axial movement, collapses against the bar to which it is pivoted, thus getting out of the way of the cloth and permitting either bar to be drawn out separately. This easy withdrawal of my collapsible roll also avoids the possibility of making the surface of the cloth .roll dirty as may occur with .a collapsible roll which must be hammered for removal thereby sliding the cloth roll along a greasy floor or cart upon which it may be resting.

I may use bars with a polygonal outer face rather than a curved face because I find that after the rolls are collapsed, they can be slid out more readily than rolls with a curved face.

In my former patent, I showed a solid. diametrical web as part of each cap to hold the ends of the bars properly-spaced apart but in place of such a solid construction there shown, I prefer to use spacing webs or shelves to make the construction lighter, and I also prefer to replace the U -shaped springs, each with a flat end which is dependent. only on friction to hold the cap, either by angularly bent ends which enter recesses -or by friction spring catches known in the trade as bumblebeesf? Such a spring catch 7 has a rounded outer face which is moved outward by a spring into a hole or recess in a cap. These catches are preferably oppositely disposed, and the spring of each and the angle or shape of the curved face is adjusted so that while each cap can readily be pulled off or pushed on, it will hold the parts in place under the ordinary conditions of winding up the cloth.

I prefer to have my separating arm of sufficient width, about three fourths the diameter of the roll, and of enough thickness so that its free end will present a substantially fiat face to a grooved bearing plate on another bar, both to hold the bars steadily in position. The recess or groove in such plate is wide enough to allow the arm to collapse and the contact, face may be of various shapes.

I may use a sheet metal cap with four triangular webs or shelves punched inward from the center forming a square hole to accommodate the square lug which drives the roll. I may also use a cast cap, as shown in the drawings, of semioctagonal cross section and having webs or shelves which support the bars near the edge of the flat faces thereof rather than in the middle as in the case of the sheet metal cap.

I prefer to use two bars having one separating arm located centrally of the bars together with a removable cap at each end of the bars. However I may use four or any other even number of bars, each pair of opposite bars having a separating arm and being held at each end by caps of appropriate shape.

I may fasten an end cap to each of two bars so that one end of each bar only is slidably removable from the cap fixed to the other bar. I may also use a convex or concave groove in the bearing plate of my device and may use a separating arm with a knife edge, rounded edge or flat edge.

I may also construct my separating arm and separating arm plate so that they are flush with the inner surface of a bar, when in the lowered position and may also construct the grooved plate so that it is flush with the inner surface of the other bar.

I may also use several separating arms intermediate of a pair of bars, instead of a single arm and I may also so affix my grooved plate that the separating arm is always at an angle from the perpendicular thus avoiding any tendency for the arm to rest on a dead center.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a collapsible cloth roll according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, in section, on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the webs or shelves upon which the bars rest.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, in section, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the separating arm and grooved plate.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation, in section, on line 4-3 of Fig. l, of a collapsible roll with a cap as shown in Figs. 1-3, but with semi-polygonal bars and several windings of cloth shown thereon.

Fig. 5 is an end view, in section, similar to Fig. 2, of a modified form of my invention in which four bars are used, each bar resting on a shelf of the cap shown in Figs. 1-4.

Fig. 6 is an end View, in section, similar to Fig. 3 and showing the four bars of Fig. 5 with each opposite pair having a separating arm.

Fig. 7, is a fragmentary side elevation, of another modification in which the separating arm is held in position by oppositely disposed springs and in which there is no grooved bearing plate.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1 of a further modification in which each bar is fixed to a cap at one end but is removably fixed to the cap at its other end.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of another modification of my collapsible roll using semi-polygonal bars and a polygonal cap with spring catches.

Fig. 10 is an end view, in section, on line Ill-I U of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation in section of another form of my device showing a flush separating arm, separating arm plate and bearing plate and an end cap with a flat spring catch to retain the bars.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the end of a separating arm and groove of my device each having curved contact faces.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 showing an end of a separating arm with a comparatively sharp edge operating in grooves designed to avoid a dead centre position and Fig. 14 is an end view in section of one form of my collapsible roll and separating arm illustrating the manner in which an end of cloth may be inserted between the bars to start the Winding of cloth on the roll.

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the roll shown in Fig. 14 and showing a bar and its accompanying separating arm being withdrawn from a roll of cloth.

As shown in Figs. 1-3, my collapsible roll D comprises two elongated bars A and B of semicircular cross section with space between them designated by I into which the end of a leader or an end of woven cloth may be tucked. The ends 2, 2 and 3, 3 of A and B are inserted in end caps C, C which may be of sheet metal.

Each cap C has four triangular shelves II], II, I2, and I3 punched from the back I4 thus forming a square hole I5 into which a square driving lug may be inserted for revolving the roll D. Cap C is cup shaped having a flanged edge I6, containing one or more holes I! to accommodate spring catches 4 on the ends of bars A and B.

The surface of spring catch 4 is so rounded that it will hold cap C on bars A and B but will permit the cap C to be slidably removed. A spring 5, in hole 6 in bars A and B maintains catch 4 within hole I! in a well known manner.

Intermediate of a bar such as A, I provide a separating arm E pivoted at 20 to a separating arm plate 2|, which is fastened to the inner surface of A by screws or nails 22, 22. I provide a bearing plate F, having a transverse groove or recess 30 and fastened to a bar such as B by screws or nails 32, 32, to receive the free end of separating arm E thereby holding it in a substantially perpendicular position with relation to the inner surfaces of bars A and B.

I prefer to make my separating arm E of a width equal to about three-quarters the diameter of the roll and of a thickness equal to about onethird of the width of groove 30 in plate F. I prefer to use what may be called a flat edge 24 cooperating with a flat groove 30 as shown in Figs. 1-3 so arranged that E will be substantially perpendicular.

However, as shown in Fig. 12, I may use a separating arm I29 with a convex, rounded edge I2I operating in a concave groove I22 in a plate I23. As shown in Fig. 13, I may also use a separating arm I30 with a knife edge I3I operating on concave grooves I32, I32, in a plate I33, there being a raised portion H99 between grooves I32 at dead centre to insure the easy collapse of arm 539.

In Fig. 4, I show a modification of my device in which cap C is the same as the device of Figs. 1-3 but the bars G and H are of polygonal cross section, in this case comprising an octagon. ihe woven cloth J is shown depending from the take up roll at 9, whence it is wound around the collapsible roll bars G and H and has its free end d2 tucked into the space between bars G and H.

In Fig. 5 is shown a further modification in which a cap C with its four inwardly projecting triangular shelves it, i i, it, and it carries an elongated M9, Mi, M2 and on each shelf thereby forming a collapsible roll of four bars rather than two. As shown in Fig. 6, with the four bar construction I can use a separating arm M and a grooved plate N with each pair of opposite bars I99, is? and iii, E93, both such separating arms collapsing after the caps are removed and after the bars have been given an axial movement.

As shown in Fig. 7, I may not use a grooved plate such as F, but may use a separating arm P pivoted at H to a plate 72 fastened to a bar 73 by screws or nails it. The free end 75 of arm P may be maintained in a perpendicular position and in contact with the inner surface of a bar it by means of oppositely disposed coil springs 7?, 77 in recess 79 of bar 73.

Fig. 3 shows a further modification in which bars A and B, arm E and plate F are the same as in Fig. 1. However, one end 2 and one end 3 of each bar is permanently affixed to the inside of a cap such as R by screws 8%. I thus use only one spring catch i in each cap and the withdrawal of either cap causes it to pull a bar with it and thus immediately collapse the roll.

Another form of my invention is shown in Figs. 9 and 10 in which two bars S and T, each of polygonal cross section are carried in polygonal end caps V, V. As shown. a separating arm E and grooved plate F are located intermediate of the bars S and T and each bar is supported at its ends 95, 92 on webs or shelves 93 and 9 93 and 94 extend from the inside of cap V to the edges of a square opening 95, for the driving lug, and thus support the edges 95 and 91 of bars S and 'I rather than the middle. I use a spring catch 6i operating in a circular opening H in the flange 99 of cap V, and the catch may be pressed inwardly with the fingers when it is desired to remove the cap.

In Fig. 11, I show further modifications of my device in which separating arm 5 i9 is pivoted at l l l, to a plate H2 in such a manner that upon collapse the arm and plate will be flush with the inner surface of bar 1 13. Similarly, grooved plate H4 is flush with the inner surface of bar M5 so that cloth in the space i it, between bars 1 i3 and 1 i5, will not be drawn out from the centre of the cloth roll when the bars are removed by sliding.

In place of a cap such as C or V I may use a cap Y of circular or polygonal circumference and having a recess i i? for the driving lug. Bars 9 l3 and iii; enter recesses H8 and H9 in cap Y and rest upon a projecting transverse shelf I29. I provide a fiat metal spring lZl, fastened to 129 by screw [22 and having a raised portion I23 at each end cooperating with a recess I24 in the ends of each bar H3 and H5. A slight pull on cap Y causes the ends E23 of spring I 2| to enter recesses l25, I26 in shelf l thereby releasing bars H3 and H5 permitting the cap to be withdrawn.

As indicated in Figs. 14 and 15, the end 92 of cloth fill may be inserted into the space between bars A and B well past the centre of separating arm and filling up the space with loose folds of cloth. Unlike rollers, links or cams however, as indicated in Fig. 15, the arm E can be drawn out of such folds without disturbing the interior of the cloth roll.

I claim: I

1. A roller comprising an even number of longitudinal bars, each bar having an interior flat face opposite to the interior fl-at face Of another bar; a separating arm pivoted axially to the flat face of one of an opposite pair of bars and bearing against the flat face of the other of said pair of bars, intermediate of said bars, and slidably removable end caps adapted to maintain the ends of said bars in spaced apart osition and to prevent longitudinal movement of said bars.

2. A roller comprising an even number of longitudinal bars, each bar having an interior flat face opposite to the interior fiat face of another bar; a separating arm pivoted axially to the fiat face of one of an opposite pair of bars and having its free end engaged in a transverse groove on the fiat face of the other of said pair of bars, intermediate of said bars, and slidably removable end caps adapted to maintain the ends of said bars in spaced apart position and to prevent longitudinal movement of said bars.

3. A roller comprising an even number of longitudinal bars, each bar having an interior fiat face opposite to the interior flat face of another bar; a separating arm pivoted axially to the flat face of one of an opposite pair of bars and bearing against the fiat face of the other of said pair of bars, intermediate Of said bars, and slidable end caps adapted to maintain the ends of said bars in spaced part position and to prevent longitudinal movement of said bars and a spring pressed latch for removably holding the ends of said bars within said end caps.

4. A roller comprising a pair of solid bars each of semi-circular cross section and having fiat sides facing and spaced apart; a separating arm pivoted axially to the fiat side of one bar, near the center of the bars and having a free end with a convex bearing edge; a plate affixed to the fiat side of an opposite bar and having a transverse concave groove for engaging the free end of said arm; and a pair of slidably removable end caps, each cap having an interior shelf for supporting the ends of each bar in spaced relationship.

PAUL C. HERING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 492,734 Meredith, Jr Feb. 28, 1893 862,997 Riley, Jr., et al. Aug. 13, 1907 954,205 Randall Apr. 5, 1910 993,600 Ballou Feb. 7, 1911 1,307,175 Bailey June 17, 1919 2,192,358 Lieber Mar. 5, 1940 2,340,381 Hering Feb. 1, 1944 2,360,771 Haberstump Oct. 17, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,267 Great Britain Oct. 26, 1911 

